Locke says "Normally clothing would completely decompose within 2 years, but this is high quality polyester. Could be 2 years, could be 10". However, in "House of the Rising Sun", Jack says "It takes 40 or 50 years for clothing to degrade like this" when talking of Adam and Eve.

The California driver's license for Emily Annabeth Locke (Swossie Kurtz) has an expiration date of 20 March, 1994 (presumably within a year or two of the flashback sequences). She has a Los Angeles, CA address, is 5'5", 115lbs, and was born on 15 October, 1940.

The drug that was being smuggled on the plane that Boone and Locke found is heroin. This is the same drug that Charlie was addicted to. Additionally, we later learn that the people who were flying this plane were acquaintances of Mr. Eko, a tail section survivor who appears in the second season.

In this episode, there is a scene in which Boone hears the words "We're the survivors of Oceanic flight 815!" over the beachcraft's radio. Later, in the episode "The Other 48 Days", we learn that the person saying this is Bernard Nadler, the husband of Rose and a tail section survivor. However, the voice we hear in "Deus ex Machina" is not the voice of Sam Anderson, the actor who plays Bernard, because he had not yet been cast.

John Locke, the 17th century English philosopher whom the character in the show is named after, was friends with the Earl of Shaftesbury, Anthony Ashley Cooper. In the show, this is the name of Locke's father.

When Jack walks away from Sawyer the first time, his backpack changes between shots. At first, it's a normal, modern-looking backpack. When the shot changes, it shows Jack wearing an older one, made out of leather. The 'backpack switching' continues until he leaves.

As Boone is climbing up the cliff face on the vines/roots to the crashed plane you clearly see the climbing belt on the stunt man as he makes his way up the cliff face. When we have Boone in the shot there is no climbing gear to be seen.

Locke's mom says that Locke is the result of an immaculate conception because he has no father. The problem is that this is not what immaculate conception means. Many people believe that the immaculate conception is the birth of Jesus Christ by the Blessed Virgin Mary. This, however, is not the case. The Immaculate Conception is of Mary's birth and it is the dogma that Mary was born free from Original Sin.

Jack: Have you ever had sex with a prostitute?Sawyer: What the hell has that got to do with anything?Jack: Is that a yes?Sawyer(reluctant): YesJack: And have you ever contracted a sexually transmitted disease? (No reply) I'll take that as another yes. When was the last outbreak?Sawyer: Go to hell, Doc.Kate: I know he deserved it, but -Jack: He needs glasses.

Boone: She was my nanny. Theresa, she was my nanny. My mother wasn't around much. I needed someone to take it out on. My bedroom was at the top of this huge flight of stairs and I would sit in bed all day calling her on the intercom. One day she took a bad step, broke her neck. I was six.

(Jack walks up to Sawyer while reading)Sawyer: If you're looking for a stool sample, you can forget it.Jack: You've been reading a lot since we came to the island. Sawyer: Okay, so what?Jack: (serious) You uh, you've uh, got hyperopia. Sawyer: (stunned) Hyperopia? That's uh, what is that?Jack: You're far-sighted.

(During Locke's dream)Locke: You're late.Boone: Late for what?Locke: Late for work. Boone: I think I'm done working, John.Locke: I'm sorry, what?Boone: This is useless. You can't open that thing up. You say you can but you can't. Locke: Don't tell me what I can't do.

Jack: (to Kate about Sawyer) Look, Kate, I'd like nothing more than to check the guy out and make sure he's okay, but we both know all I'm going to get for my trouble is a snappy one liner, and if I'm real lucky, a brand new nickname.

(about the examination during which Jack discovered that Sawyer needed glasses)Kate: So did you know before or after you asked him about his latest outbreak?Jack: Well, I'd answer that but, you know, doctor-patient confidentiality.

Emily: Well, he said that was the only way you would give it to him. It had to be your idea. He told me where to find you. He asked me to go see you. I wanted to see you.Locke: This can't be happening. This is a misunderstanding. This can't happen to me. He wouldn't do this to me. He wouldn't do this to me!

Boone: Oh, we're supposed to. We're supposed to find this, right? We're supposed to open it, right? Then tell me something, John, if we're supposed to open it, then why the hell haven't we opened it yet? Locke: The island will send us a sign.

Notes

Although credited, Emilie de Ravin (Claire), Maggie Grace (Shannon), Malcolm David Kelley (Walt) and Dominic Monaghan (Charlie) didn't appear. For the first time, Dominic Monaghan didn't appear, and for the first and only time, Emilie de Ravin didn't appear, but still was credited. Plus, Naveen Andrews (Sayid) appeared, but had no lines.

For a limited time, a recap video clip could be seen on the ABC website. Within the clip, the audio had been changed for the scene of Boone contacting outsiders with the Beechcraft radio. The Audio had gone from, "...there were no survivors of..." to, "No, we're the survivors of Oceanic flight 815!"

The idea that "...there were no survivors.." was originally supposed to be said over the radio before it was changed can be explained by the fact that we now know the outside world believes there to be no survivors of flight 815 (up until a certain point in time anyway).

The title stems from the Latin phrase deus ex machina (literally "god from the machine"). The saying, simply put, is defined as a person or event that provides a sudden and unexpected solution to a difficulty. It is a term from ancient Greek and Roman plays where one of the gods would suddenly provide a solution. The episode title is also the title of Chapter 48 of the book "Watership Down." (In a previous episode, Boone accused Sawyer of stealing this book from his luggage.)

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